Joint intelligence office opens in Kabul

The first joint Afghan, Pakistan and Nato intelligence office opened yesterday in Kabul as part of a drive to stem cross-border infiltration ahead of an expected Taliban spring offensive.

The joint intelligence and operation centre, which includes American forces involved in counter-terrorism operations, was formed after months of negotiations by the British Nato commander in Afghanistan, Gen David Richards, to improve cooperation between the two neighbouring allies in the war on terror.

Pakistan has been dogged by accusations made by Afghan and Nato intelligence officials that the Taliban has its headquarters near Quetta in Balochistan and that the insurgency has been backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate (ISI).

"It's a historic day in the joint war on terror and against the insurgents," said Gen Richards, who said it was the fruit of two years of broader military cooperation.

Mark Laity, a senior Nato spokesman, said that the centre was part of efforts to improve cooperation along the border and pointed to two recent occasion when Pakistan has acted to stop Taliban crossing or firing from Pakistani soil into Afghanistan.

Pakistan's president, Gen Musharraf, has acknowledged that some retired Pakistani intelligence officials may still be involved in supporting their former Taliban protégés whom they worked with during the 1990s when Pakistan helped the movement sweep to power in Afghanistan.

A senior Western diplomat told The Daily Telegraph that the head of the ISI, Lt Gen Ashfaq Kiyani, had briefed ambassadors in Islamabad on how he was attempting to clamp down on rogue agents within his organisation.

According to the source, Gen Kiyani claimed that the ISI's counter-terrorist cell had been charged with thwarting the efforts of both retired and serving members of its Afghan cell which has in the past supported the Taliban.

A senior aide to Gen Musharraf estimated that it would take up to two years before the pro-jihad tendency within Pakistan's intelligence agencies could be bought to heel.

Last weekend Gen Richards said he wanted to remedy the perception that Pakistan was not offering key support to coalition forces in Afghanistan.

An aide to the General Richards said that although there may be Pakistani officials who are sympathetic to the Taliban that the general was confident of the Pakistani government's support.

"He [the general] is not saying there is not an issue there but we need to draw a sharp distinction between the government and those people," said the aide.

Gen Richards said that Pakistan provided the intelligence that led to last month's killing of Mullah Akhtar Mohammed Osmani, one of the most senior Taliban leaders.